Update: Bethesda has officially confirmed on Twitter that Shinji Mikami is leaving Tango Gameworks. It wished him well and is “excited by what lies ahead for the talented developers at Tango.”
Original Story:
Following the success of Hi-Fi Rush, it seems that Tango Gameworks founder Shinji Mikami is leaving the studio. A company-wide email was reportedly sent out (and verified by TrueAchievements) from Bethesda Softworks senior VP Todd Vaughn. He revealed that Mikami would be leaving in the “coming months.”
“Mikami-san has been a creative leader and supportive mentor to young developers at Tango for 12 years through his work on The Evil Within franchise, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and of course, Hi-Fi Rush.” Vaughn would call the rhythm action game “one of the most successful launches for Bethesda and Xbox in recent years,” and said it “generated significant positive momentum for the business and Tango.”
Before founding Tango Gameworks in March 2010, Mikami directed and produced several high-profile titles for Capcom, like Resident Evil and Dino Crisis, while serving as executive producer on Devil May Cry and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. He would go on to work on Clover Studio’s God Hand, Grasshopper Manufacture’s Shadows of the Damned, and PlatinumGames’ Vanquish.
After founding Tango, Mikami would direct The Evil Within before becoming an executive producer for The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush. Neither Bethesda nor Tango has officially announced Mikami’s departure yet. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.